Patriots legend picks replacement for HC Bill Belichick

New England Patriots legend and Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law thinks Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo deserves a chance to replace Bill Belichick if team owner Robert Kraft parts ways with the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach this winter. 

"I would like to see Jerod Mayo get an opportunity," Law said during a Tuesday appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," as shared by Mike Kadlick of Audacy. "Because I think he has respect from, especially around here, he has respect from players as a former player, which you don't have a lot of former players [coaching]."

Mayo first became New England's inside linebackers coach in 2019 and has been considered a favorite to eventually succeed Belichick since at least last offseason. That, however, was before ESPN's Dan Graziano and Boston Sports Journal founder/editorial director Greg A. Bedard revealed last week that it's far from a sure thing that Kraft already has Mayo penciled in for the gig. 

Meanwhile, Law compared New England's situation to how Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce has reportedly become a legitimate candidate to earn the full-time job with that organization following this season. 

"I think that's a direct result of him being able to relate to the players in a certain way," Law said about Pierce. "And he's got those boys playing. He played that position, that leadership position, as a linebacker. You have the same thing with Jerod Mayo. He's been coaching under Bill Belichick. He knows how to coach. He can go find the players and maybe he can get to them in a different way."

Perhaps the biggest thing working against Mayo landing the New England job, assuming it becomes available, is that Mike Vrabel may want to leave the Tennessee Titans in January. Vrabel is a proven head coach who earned three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots during his playing career, and Bedard believes the 48-year-old could be Kraft's "ideal candidate" to lead the franchise into its next era.